Macron accepts French PM's resignation

France's Prime Minister Gabriel Attal leaves the Elysee palace in Paris

Attal and his ministers will stay on as caretakers until a new cabinet is appointed

(Image credit: Alain Jocard / AFP via Getty Images)

published 17 July 2024

What happened

French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and his government resigned on Tuesday, but will stay on as caretakers until a new cabinet is appointed following snap legislative elections that delivered no outright winner.

A broad left-green alliance — called New Popular Front (NFP) — won the most seats in the final round of voting, but "has been scrambling" to find a consensus candidate for prime minister, said France 24. The alliance has been "marred by infighting" since its election win earlier this month, said the BBC.

NFP members have publicly voiced frustration over the stalemate. Leftist deputy François Ruffin called the divisions "shameful," while green politician Sandrine Rousseau said the alliance's inability to agree on a prime minister made her "very angry."

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Arion McNicoll is a freelance writer at The Week Digital and was previously the UK website’s editor. He has also held senior editorial roles at CNN, The Times and The Sunday Times. Along with his writing work, he co-hosts “Today in History with The Retrospectors”, Rethink Audio’s flagship daily podcast, and is a regular panellist (and occasional stand-in host) on “The Week Unwrapped”. He is also a judge for The Publisher Podcast Awards.